


Friendlies

by annyeonghaseye



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Friends to Lovers, M/M, Meet-Cute, Mutual Pining, doctor taeyong, football player yuta, side dotae - Freeform, side johnten, teacher jaehyun
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-23
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2019-10-15 01:13:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17519366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annyeonghaseye/pseuds/annyeonghaseye
Summary: Rising football star Nakamoto Yuta gets a potentially career-ending injury. His longing for the sport leads him to a teaching opportunity at an elementary school where he meets a handsome kindergarten teacher named Jung Jaehyun.





	1. Is It Over?

“Yuta, I’m afraid that you need to sit out the rest of the season. It looks like you tore the anterior cruciate ligament in your left knee.” Taeyong said, as he gave the initial diagnosis for Yuta’s injury while accompanying the latter in an ambulance going to the hospital. 

 

“Holy shit. Taeyong, please take that back,” Yuta replied, as he processed his best friend’s first findings about his injured knee. Even though Yuta has had his fair share of injuries from football, this was his first one since joining the professional league. As Taeyong continued to scrutinize his poor, beat-up knee, Yuta had a mix of emotions about it, ranging from fear, hopelessness, pain, and resignation. 

 

Nakamoto Yuta was born in Osaka, Japan, but spent most of his life in Korea. A college superstar at Sungkyunkwan University, he set records left and right for his alma mater’s football team. Not to mention, he was also an academically gifted student with a decent amount of extracurricular activities outside of his athletic career. He graduated from SKKU with a degree in Architecture. Aside from football, he loved design, architecture, and art. During his time in university, he became roommates (and best  friends) with Lee Taeyong, a brilliant, yet introverted medical student. Although Taeyong and Yuta had planned separate pursuits after graduation, their mutual love for football brought them together, with Yuta as a forward for Seoul United and Taeyong as a member of the team’s medical staff. For the past two years, Yuta and Taeyong have been a tag team of sorts, along with Yuta’s other teammate, Jungwoo. 

  
  


Yuta and Taeyong finally arrived at the hospital. They were met by Dr. Cho, Taeyong’s mentor and an orthopedic surgeon at the hospital. “Taeyong-ah! How are you? It looks like you’re with the star player of Seoul United today! How can I be of service?,” said the elder. “Doctor, Yuta injured his knee today. It’s very painful and it looks like it’s an ACL tear. I brought him here to run a few tests. ” Taeyong replied. 

 

“I see, Taeyong-ah. You’re always welcome here.” Dr. Cho responded. “Thank you, Dr. Cho.” Taeyong said, as parted ways to go to the radiology department with Yuta for his MRI. In normal hospital procedures, MRI tests were supposed to be booked in advance, but Yuta’s circumstances (and Taeyong’s connections) granted him a slot for a MRI test and an in-depth appointment with Dr. Cho about his knee. 

 

The MRI test took an hour long. Thanks to state-of-the-art medical technology, MRI results can be e-mailed to doctors in 2 hours. During the lull period, Yuta and Taeyong talked about a lot of things, such as Taeyong’s dating life, and Yuta’s post-injury plans. Yuta did not hesitate to express his apprehensions to his best friend. “Yongie, I’m so scared. Will this be the end for me? As much as I love architecture, it’s not in the cards for me right now. Yes, I have my license and I juggled apprenticeship in between trainings and games, but I don’t know about my future in that field. My peers are so good,” expressed Yuta. 

"Listen to me, Yuta. You're not just a good football player. You're also a hardworking and determined architect too. I'm not just saying this as your team doctor, but I'm saying this as your best friend. You're so good, you're so hardworking, and you're so accomplished. This knee injury will not be the end for you." Taeyong retorted. "I'll try to think about it that way, but for now, it feels like it's the end of the world." Yuta replied. 

Yuta and Taeyong kept on talking for hours, they did not realize that Yuta was already called on by Dr. Cho for his comprehensive check-up. Taeyong's initial findings were correct. Yuta got a moderately severe ACL injury in his left knee. He was required to get surgery, followed by two full months of intense physical rehabilitation. He was also ordered to sit out of playing football for a good six months. Yuta was initially shocked and angered by the news, but he was able to collect himself after several minutes after the announcement. Two weeks after the diagnosis, he checked himself at the SM Medical Center for his knee surgery. The surgery was very successful, and he was able to recover from the surgery in a week. Rehabilitation, though, was another story. 

The first two weeks of rehab were extremely excruciating for Yuta. However, as time went on, the rehabilitation sessions got easier, and soon enough, Yuta was able to use his left leg to almost-full capacity. However, he was still advised not to play, which was frustrating for him. He missed the action and the adrenaline that he got from playing football. His new job at an architectural firm may have given him some excitement and motivation post-injury, but life without football was making him antsy. Not to mention, he was advised not to do anything related to football during his recovery (with the exception of watching games, of course) by Taeyong and his coaches. It was a pretty dull life for him. 

 

 


	2. A New Leaf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuta's starting a new career, while Taeyong is back on the dating game.

It has been around three months since Yuta got injured, and his new life has been remarkably different from what it was before. Before, he used to devote a huge chunk of his time for training and playing, while juggling a part-time career as an architectural designer. Now, the tables have turned: work is now the main priority, and football had to take a backseat. Although Yuta was a little reluctant at first to return to architecture, he realized that his degree and license will be useful at some point. Although he is a licensed architect, he lacked some experience, which made it challenging for him to find a job in his field. Eventually, he got accepted at an architectural firm as a junior architect. It was a new and exciting opportunity for him, yet very different from his life as a football player. Rather than scoring goals on the field, he’s setting several work and life goals for himself. “It feels like I’m turning into an actual adult,” Yuta uttered to himself as he prepared for work. While on the way to work, Yuta heard his phone ring. It was Taeyong calling him, and he did not hesitate to pick it up.

“Hello, Taeyong! What’s up?” Yuta asked.

“Oh. Nothing much, really! Things have been pretty good so far. I’m going to hold a few consultations today until 3 o’clock, then I’m off to see the guy I’m dating,” Taeyong replied.

“You’re seeing someone? Wow, it’s been a while, Taeyongie. I’m so happy for you. Tell me more about him!”

“Yuta, I think he’s a really nice guy. We’ve been seeing each other for a month now, but I feel like this is going to last. He’s very principled, and he’s very intelligent at that. He’s actually a social studies teacher at a private elementary school near Cheongdam.” Taeyong said.

“Oh, he seems lovely. I would love to meet him soon, Taeyongie. I think we’ll get along.” Yuta replied.

“Well, I would like to think so too! He’s very talkative, caring,  and intelligent just like you, but he has a huge dislike for sports. During our first date, when I told him that I am a sports doctor, he glared at me for a few seconds and laughed at me. I hope we can all meet up soon! You can sit in during training next week! I’ll bring him.” Taeyong exclaimed.

“I was just thinking about it too! I’ll be dropping by next week at the field, actually. See you soon, Taeyong! I’ll call you by Friday.” Yuta chirped as they bade each other goodbyes on the phone.

* * *

The work week has just ended. After three consecutive weeks of turnover sessions and project meetings, it was Yuta's first Friday night out in a long time. As he left his office building, he decided to call Taeyong. As Yuta was about to greet his best friend, someone else answered the phone. 

"Hello?," the voice asked. 

"Hello, Taeyong? May I know who's this?" Yuta answered back. 

"Oh! This is Doyoung. Taeyong's boyfriend." The voice replied. It was Doyoung, the guy that Taeyong is dating. Although they've known each other for years, they have recently only started dating exclusively. Their budding relationship has been a pretty quick one; after meeting each other on Tinder, they had their first date a week after. They've also been frequently hanging out together, usually at the coffee shop near the school where Doyoung is working at, or at the strip mall near the hospital where Taeyong holds his clinic at twice a week. When Yuta heard Doyoung's proclamation, he did not hesitate to express his shock over the phone. 

"BOYFRIEND?! WHAT?! Hahahahaha!", Yuta hollered, as he turned the speakerphone feature on his phone. 

"Don't mind Doyoung! He's just being a little sarcastic," Taeyong shouted. 

"Taeyong, it's perfectly fine. I'm happy for you. I can finally say that you're correct about him. I can't wait to meet him later," Yuta replied with a smile. 

"Oh, awesome! See you later at the gymnasium then?" Taeyong asked. 

"Yes. See you!" Yuta responded. 

 

Fifteen minutes later, Yuta finally arrived at the gymnasium, where he saw his teammates doing various drills. It was a bittersweet sight to see, since it will take him a while to get back on the field. However, as he watched Jungwoo, Minho, and the rest of his team score some practice goals, he also felt proud of them. Seeing his teammates in action overwhelmed him, to the extent that he cried for a few seconds. Several moments later, Jungwoo spotted him and ran up to his area. 

"Hyung! You're here!" Jungwoo exclaimed as he hugged Yuta from the side. Jungwoo is Yuta's closest friend in the team. They had similar backgrounds; both of them went to top universities as student-athletes and finished degrees in the STEM field (Yuta was an architecture graduate, Jungwoo was a mechanical engineering one), they were both recruited by Seoul United after graduation, and they love bonding over anime, literature, and pop music outside of football. Because of his closeness with Yuta, Taeyong has also grown fond of the younger one too. 

"Zeus, I'm just visiting and waiting for your Taeyong-hyung. We're gonna go out later with his boyfriend. Well, his alleged boyfriend. I missed you so much! You've improved a lot." Yuta replied. 

"Well, hyung, the team has been a little different since you left. The new hyungs here are fighting over Coach's attention, and I heard one of them in the lockers say that you deserve to sit out of the team. I know your recovery has been very miraculous, but you need to be in action already. They are so cocky!" Jungwoo grumbled. 

"Yes, Zeus. I understand you. I've been feeling antsy about it too. I want to play already, but Coach and medical experts have advised me to sit out of the sport until I make a full recovery. It should be in three months' time." Yuta lamented. 

"I'll count on that, Hyung! I can't wait to see you join us again!" Jungwoo gushed in excitement. 

 

A couple of minutes later, Taeyong finally arrived with Doyoung, where they saw Jungwoo and Yuta talking in one corner of the gymnasium.

"Taeyongie, is that Yuta? Your best friend? Why is he talking to one of the athletes?" Doyoung sneered. 

"Oh, Doie, my dear, I forgot to tell you, Yuta is actually part of Seoul United! Yes, he's an architect, but he was an athlete first. He actually got injured a couple of months back, and today is his first time to watch his teammates play. A lot of things have changed since he got injured, actually." Taeyong replied. 

"I'm sorry to hear that. It's just that his aura or vibe reminds me of the asshat of a basketball player who cheated on me before we got together. You know--- that friendly, unassuming personality that charms you at first, then you learn that he's a dick?" Doyoung asserted. 

"You're so snarky sometimes, Doie. But in all defense, my best friend is an absolute sweetheart. Let's meet him." Taeyong insisted. 

 

Taeyong and Doyoung walked up to Yuta's spot in the gymnasium. Around this time, Yuta and Jungwoo had parted ways, and Yuta was just busy playing Animal Crossing on his Nintendo Switch. Taeyong tapped Yuta's shoulder and they started hugging as Doyoung glared at Yuta on the side. After hugging, Taeyong did not hesitate to introduce Doyoung to Yuta.

"Yuta, this is Doyoung, the guy I'm dating." Taeyong chirped. Shortly after, Yuta and Doyoung bowed at each other and shook hands. 

"Nice to meet you, Doyoung, I've heard really nice things about you," Yuta exclaimed. 

"Yuta, first of all, I'm sorry. I'm sorry if I thought you were an asshole, a fuckboy, and a dickhead at first. I'm supposed to not be generalizing things, but my past relationship with an athlete made me think of other athletes that way. Can you forgive me? I'm working on changing that mindset." Doyoung replied. 

"Of course, Doyoung. I forgive you. I think we're going to be great friends." Yuta happily declared, as he smiled at Doyoung and Taeyong. 

 

After meeting up at the gymnasium, Doyoung, Taeyong, and Yuta headed to Hongdae for dinner. They settled at a samgyeopsal house, and bonded over grilled meat and soju. Over dinner, Doyoung brought up an interesting announcement. 

"Yuta, I know that you've been missing football a lot lately, but are you open to any coaching opportunities by any chance? I know one." Doyoung asked, as he looked at Yuta. 

"Coaching? You mean, I'm going to coach a football team?," Yuta wondered, while in between bites of his grilled pork. 

"Oh, the preschool and elementary department's moderator at our school's football club just recently left, and we're looking for someone to replace him. Are you perhaps, good with children? Like, a bunch of kids from five to eight years old? Don't worry though, the schedule is from 1:00-3:00 pm every Fridays, and 8:30-10:00 am on Saturdays." Doyoung disclosed. 

"Doyoung-ah, that opportunity sounds awesome! But I'll think about it first, since I'm still getting accustomed to this job that I have." Yuta replied. "But I love children too. My colleague, Ten always brings his five-year-old son, Mark, to our office to play." 

"That's perfect! I hope to get your answer by next week, then." Doyoung exclaimed. 

Their first night out was a fun one at that. Apart from gaining a new friend, Yuta felt that the new opportunity that Doyoung presented him was a step closer to coming back to the sport that he loves. 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is still a Yuta-centered chapter, but this will lead to several events and encounters with new characters!


	3. The Cute Preschool Teacher

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's a peek into Jaehyun's life as a teacher!

“How’s your class, Jaehyun? It must be a handful to handle really young kids.” Doyoung asked, while seated in front of Jaehyun at the cafeteria over breakfast. It’s the third week of March, which means that it’s the start of a new term for students in Korea. For the teachers, the new school year also meant new teaching assignments for them. At the Cheongdam Foreign School, restructuring has been a norm for the school’s faculty, particularly in the Early Education and Grade School departments. This year, Doyoung was assigned to teach Social Studies to first-graders, while Jaehyun was nominated by his older peers to be a class adviser for a kindergarten class, despite starting out as an English teacher for first-graders. Jaehyun’s reassignment in the Early Education department was a shock to most of his fellow teachers, since he was one of the more competent young teachers in the school.

“My kids have been lovely so far, Doie. I mean, I don’t get why our sunbaenims here think that the Early Education Department is like the seventh circle of hell, but I don’t see it that way. These kids may have very different personalities and behaviors, but I do think that they’re not bad, just passionate and very curious!” Jaehyun exclaimed, while munching his egg sandwich for breakfast.

“Oh I see, Jaehyun. I hope I can sit in your class one time and meet the kids that you’re teaching!” Doyoung replied.

“I hope to do the same too, Doie. Before anything else, I’m grateful to have you as my best friend, and I feel so lucky that we’re in this together. I sound like the cheesiest friend, but I really mean it,” Jaehyun said to Doyoung before parting ways to start their respective classes.

 

* * *

 

Before becoming an elementary school teacher, Jung Jaehyun was a freelance writer . After graduating from university in Boston, he spent six months there shuttling between New York and Boston for internships and freelance writing opportunities. It was an exhilarating, yet incredibly exhausting time for him. The burnout and isolation that he felt from freelance writing incited a brief, yet intense crisis in him, which prompted him to come home to Korea. Upon arriving, he immediately got a call from his best friend, Doyoung, to try out teaching. Doyoung knew that Jaehyun had a natural talent for kids and teaching, since they used to head their high school's mentoring program before leaving for the US.  After taking up several courses for education and undergoing several teacher trainings, Jaehyun eventually got a teaching license and was recruited by Cheongdam Foreign School as an English teacher for first-graders. 

 

It was the third day of class for the new school year. Jaehyun opened the door to his little classroom, where he was greeted by his students. His class consisted of seven boys, all with interesting and cute personalities to offer. The students were seated into one long table, doing various activities. 

The occupants in the table were Mark, Renjun, Jaemin, Jeno, Chenle, Jisung, and Donghyuck. Mark is a small, bright-eyed, and well-behaved boy with a love for watermelons and lion plushies. He was born in Thailand, but he spent his early years in Chicago after his biological dad, Ten moved there for graduate school. While in Chicago, Ten got married to a young lawyer named Johnny and raised him there until he was three. When he was three years old, his parents decided to move to Korea, after Johnny got an amazing work opportunity in Seoul. After experiencing bullying from his classmates at his old preschool, his dads decided to transfer him to Cheongdam Foreign School because of its eclectic student-teacher-parent community. 

Jeno and Donghyuck, on the other hand, are fraternal twins with different, yet complementary personalities and interests. Jeno is soft-spoken and well-mannered, while Donghyuck is loud, assertive, and slightly rowdy. The latter has a penchant for dancing and singing, while the former likes to read books and play with blocks. Just like Mark, Jeno and Donghyuck are also new students at the Cheongdam Foreign School. They recently moved back to Seoul from Jeju after their parents got encouraged by their Uncle Taeyong to set up a joint medical practice in the city. 

Na Jaemin has been a student at Cheongdam Foreign School ever since he was three years old. He is a sweet and affectionate little boy who loves candies and the colour pink. He was always jolly, and had taken a liking to giving hugs, flowers and other tokens for his teachers and classmates. During the first day of classes, he gave Jaehyun and his classmates cute puppy-shaped keychains after class. Jaemin has also taken a liking towards Jaehyun, immediately dubbing him as his "favourite teacher." When his mother, Seulgi, first met Jaehyun after class, she was immediately starstruck by the latter's handsome face, and did not hesitate to blurt out that the latter was cute. 

Chenle and Renjun are stepsiblings originally from China. Their fathers, Sicheng and Kun got married when they were two years old. They have been living in Korea ever since, and the two children have been studying at the school ever since they were three. Chenle and Renjun have a lot of similarities with Donghyuck and Jeno; Chenle is a lively, rowdy kid who liked performing and sports, while Renjun is into Moomin, arts, and reading, just like Jeno and Mark. In fact, during the first day of class, Renjun, Mark, and Jeno exchanged coloring books during supervised play. 

Park Jisung was originally part of the nursery class for this school year, but his stellar grades got him accelerated to kindergarten. Just like Mark and Jeno, he's also soft-spoken and slightly timid. However, he also happens to be a warm-hearted little kid who likes to play games and watch Sesame Street with his classmates. 

 

Jaehyun's class schedule was from 7:30 am until 12:00 pm from Monday to Friday. The first two hours of class are dedicated to the core subjects: Math, Reading, Writing, and Science. Afterwards, he lets the kids play and have recess for twenty minutes. After recess, classes resume, and they start having class again. Classes usually end with a storytelling session from Jaehyun. Today, Jaehyun brought his copies of Madeline and I Want My Hat Back to read to his students. Afterwards, Mark approached Jaehyun to talk to him. 

"Mister Jaehyun! Mister Jaehyun!" Mark exclaimed, as he walked towards Jaehyun to hug him. Mark then proceeded to hug him, followed by the rest of the kids. 

"Oh thank you for the hugs, boys! It's only the third day of class, but you have all been very kind to me." Jaehyun responded. "I will make you something special tomorrow!" 

* * *

 Jaehyun's life as a teacher has been a challenging, yet fulfilling one. It was an unexpected career choice for him, but he was able to pull through with the support of his friends and co-teachers, Doyoung and Lucas. After class, Jaehyun usually heads home with Doyoung to eat and hang out. Sometimes their hangouts are muddled with work tasks, but for the most part, they just eat the dishes that they cooked for each other and bond over the most random things. It's a good life for Jaehyun, but he wants something more out of his life--- perhaps a relationship, a new adventure? Who knows.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's notes: I've been posting WIPs here and it's been helping with my writing process. 
> 
> I've written stuff about the Dreamies here too.


	4. Bread Fever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who's the cute teacher who happens to resemble a loaf of bread?

Jaehyun woke up at four o’clock in the morning to bake the remaining batch of his chocolate chip cookie dough in his fridge. He plans on giving the cookies to his students, as a gesture of appreciation for them. He started laying out his baking tools and then prepared his oven.

Ten minutes later, Doyoung came out of his bedroom and noticed the smell of the cookies baking in the kitchen area of their shared apartment. While picking up some milk from his mini fridge, Doyoung immediately guessed that the cookies that Jaehyun was baking were intended for the students in his kindergarten class.

“I knew it. It’s for the kids!” Doyoung exclaimed, while seated in their dining table, in between sips of milk. “Yes, Doie, they really are for them. Mark and the rest of the kids went up to me yesterday and hugged me out of nowhere. It was really sweet,” Jaehyun replied. “Anyway, I left you a jar full of cookies in the fridge. Just heat them up!” Jaehyun added.

“Thanks, Jaehyun! I guess I’m bringing them later to work.” Doyoung retorted. After their conversation, Doyoung and Jaehyun went to their respective rooms and prepared for work.  Once they were finished preparing their things, Jaehyun proceeded to the common parking lot in their apartment building to get his car and drive off to work with Doyoung.

Jaehyun and Doyoung usually arrive to work at least an hour before the start of their morning classes. However, since traffic was very light in their area today, they made it to the school at six o’clock in the morning, which gave them ample time to have coffee and review their respective agendas for the day.

 

“Are we picking up Yuta-samchon today, Dada and Papa?” Mark asked, while clutching on his watermelon pillow and lion cub plushie in the car. “Yes, Markie! We’ll pick up Yuta-samchon today before we drop you off to school and head off to work, dear,” Johnny replied.  “Markie dearie, I know we allowed you to bring your watermelon pillow and Simba to school today, so please take care of them, okay? Love you.” Ten added.

“Okay, Dada and Papa!” Mark exclaimed. Johnny then proceeded to drive to Yuta’s apartment building, which was a ten to fifteen-minute drive from their home in the Apgujeong district. While driving, Mark fell asleep, and Ten and Johnny started talking about various matters, such as school, their upcoming weekend holiday in Jeju, and their date night the next day. Although the two initially planned on having dinner, they ended up deciding to go to the movies at the mall instead.

Twelve minutes later, they finally arrived at Yuta’s apartment building and picked him up from there. Yuta was seated beside Mark in the back seat, while Ten and Johnny were in front.

“How’s school, Mark?” Yuta asked. Ever since Yuta became friends with Ten and Johnny, Yuta has grown fond of their little family, especially towards Mark.

“Yuta-samchon! Yuta-samchon!” Mark squealed in excitement as the Japanese man sat beside him. Just like Yuta, the little boy was also fond of his fathers’ new Japanese friend. Although Ten and Yuta have only known each other for only a few months, they’ve gotten really close with one another, to the extent that they treat each other like siblings. Not to mention, Johnny and Ten both grew up without siblings, so having Yuta was the closest thing that the couple has as an uncle figure for Mark.

“Yuta-samchon, school is awesome! We’re only seven boys in the class, but I think I met my best friends already. Our teacher is also very nice too, and my classmates say that he looks like a bread loaf. He likes to tell stories and he lets us play games in class,” Mark added.

"Do you learn from him too? Does he teach you the good stuff, like being a good person?" Yuta asked. "I think so!" Mark replied.

“Yuta, stop asking Mark hard questions. He’s still a baby!” Johnny uttered in jest.

“I’m sorry!” Yuta added.

“Yuta, before anything else, can you be the one to pick up Mark today from school? Johnny and I have something to do,” Ten requested.

“Oh Ten, it’s okay!” Yuta smiled at Ten and Johnny and gave them the look of assurance.

“Really, Yuta-samchon? You’ll be with me later?” Mark asked.

“Yes, Mark! We’ll eat ice cream and play after work.” Yuta replied.

After a series of gleeful exchanges, the group finally arrived at Mark’s school. Johnny parked his car for a few minutes, and accompanied Mark to his classroom.

 

* * *

“Hyuckie! What do you think of Mister Breadie? Should I give it to Mister Jaehyun?” Chenle asked, while seated beside Donghyuck in their classroom’s play corner. Donghyuck was also playing with his bread plushie, and Chenle’s question ignited a silly, but brilliant idea in him.

“Lele, I think we should show our bread plushies to Mister Jaehyun. He looks like bread, which is cute” Donghyuck uttered in jest. While Donghyuck and Chenle were coming up with their plan, Mark passed by the two and looked at them with confusion. Out of curiosity, Mark did not hesitate to approach Chenle and Donghyuck and ask them about the thing that they were brewing for class. Chenle and Donghyuck explained to Mark that they were planning to show off their bread plushies in class to Jaehyun as their way of appreciating him as their teacher, and that Mark and the other kids should show off their plushies or toys too.

“That’s cool, Hyuckie and Lele!” Mark exclaimed, as he brought Simba (his lion cub plushie) and his watermelon plushie. The three started playing with their plushies, which made the rest of the kids curious too. Shortly after, the kids assembled themselves in the play corner and played with each other’s toys and plushies.

Jaehyun arrived in his classroom five minutes before the school’s first bell. He saw the kids playing in the corner instead of their seats. Donghyuck and Chenle approached him and gave their bread plushies, which amused him. “Mister Jaehyun, you look like Mister Breadie! He’s the cutest bread.” Chenle proclaimed in front of the class.  

“Thank you for these, Chenle and Hyuckie. Chenle, what you said may seem bad to others, but it’s alright. I really do look like bread, according to the teachers here.” Jaehyun responded.

“Anyway, kids, let’s start the class already. You can play with the plushies during play time, okay?” Jaehyun proclaimed. Jaehyun rang his class bell, which meant that it’s the start of their classes. Since it’s Thursday, the first class of the day was Math, which was then followed by Science. For these classes, Jaehyun prepared worksheets and did flashcard drills with the kids.

Jaehyun’s class spent their recess in the classroom, where the kids played with the toys and games in the school’s toy chest. Jaehyun then each gave his students his homemade chocolate chips, which immediately became a favorite of Mark and Jeno’s. For their last activities, Jaehyun facilitated a game related to Math and conducted a film showing of Madeline with his students and Lucas’ class. At twelve o’clock, the school bell rang, which meant that the morning classes have ended. He dismissed the students. Jaemin, Chenle, Renjun, and Jisung were immediately picked up by their guardians and parents, but Mark, Donghyuck, and Jeno insisted to stay to talk to their Teacher Jaehyun, since the people who will be picking them up have not arrived yet.

Yuta finally arrived at Mark’s school. Cheongdam Foreign School was a block away from his workplace, which made it accessible for him to pick up Mark whenever Ten or Johnny are unavailable. It was an eight-minute walk, which was easy-peasy for him. Upon arriving, he saw Taeyong, which surprised him. He knew that the latter was supposed to be out of town, since Jungwoo informed him about it beforehand.

“Yongie, I thought you were going to attend this sports medicine seminar in Busan today! How come you’re here too? Are you picking up Doyoung?” Yuta asked. “It’s still tomorrow, Yuta! I committed to spend time with my nephews...and Doyoung today before I leave,” Taeyong replied, sheepishly, as he admitted about his boyfriend. “How about you? What’s your agenda here? Have you thought about the job opening here that Doyoung mentioned a few days ago?” Taeyong probed, as he looked at his best friend in a puzzled way.

“Oh, I’m going to pick up Ten and Johnny’s son! They’re gonna go on a couples’ date tonight, which means that I’ll be watching over their kid until they get home,” Yuta replied. After their conversation, Taeyong and Yuta went together to the preschool department, where Jaehyun’s classroom was located.

The two finally entered the classroom. Taeyong and Yuta were both starstruck by Jaehyun. Jaehyun was playing with Mark, Jeno, and Donghyuck in their play corner, and they could not believe their eyes that the man in front of them was the kindergarten teacher of their nephews. 

"Hello! Are you here to pick up Mark, Jeno, and Hyuckie?" Jaehyun asked Taeyong and Yuta in glee. 

Mark ran to Yuta, while Jeno and Donghyuck approached Taeyong. 

"Yes!" The two replied. 

"Yuta-samchon! Yuta-samchon! This is Mister Jaehyun, he's the best teacher ever. He gave us cookies and he teaches us lessons. He is Mister Breadie too." Mark said, while being held by Yuta. 

"Nice to meet you, Jaehyun. Mark has said a lot of nice things about you. I'm Mark's uncle, Yuta. " Yuta replied, as he shook hands with Jaehyun.

"I'm Jaehyun. Nice to meet you, Yuta." Jaehyun responded. 

"You really do look like a bread loaf. How cute." Yuta added.

"Thank you. You're good-looking too, and you seem to be really kind." Jaehyun retorted, before he proceeded to talk to Taeyong. 

After Jaehyun introduced himself to Yuta, he approached Taeyong. Jaehyun has known Taeyong through Doyoung's stories, and today was the first time he's meeting his best friend's boyfriend in person. 

"Hi Taeyong! I've heard so many things about you from Doyoung. I'm Jaehyun, by the way." Jaehyun said, as he shook hands with Taeyong. 

"It's such a small world! You're my boyfriend's best friend, and you're also my nephews' kindergarten teacher. It's so amusing that Donghyuck and Jeno refer to you as their "bread teacher."" Taeyong retorted. 

"Taeyong-samchon! Mister Jaehyun is the bestest breadest teacher ever!" Donghyuck hollered.

Jaehyun laughed and blushed after Taeyong and Donghyuck shared their comments. He found them funny, yet flattering. After several minutes of small talk between Taeyong and Yuta, Yuta, Taeyong, and the kids bade their goodbyes to Jaehyun and went off to their separate agendas. 

 

* * *

A couple of hours later, Mark and Yuta went out of Yuta’s office to get some ice cream and snacks at a grocery. “Yuta-samchon! What do you think of Mister Jaehyun? He’s nice, right?” Mark asked, while looking at Yuta cutely. Yuta was still shocked by his first encounter with Mark’s teacher. Jaehyun’s charm, outstanding good looks, and kind nature immediately drew Yuta to him. He was too good to be true, let alone be a real person. “Yes, Mark, I think he’s nice and cute. He looks like he’s very capable of being your teacher and mentor, Mark.” Yuta replied, shyly.

“You said Mister Jaehyun is cute! Do you like him? When Dada told Papa was cute, it meant that they liked each other, Yuta-samchon. Does it mean you like Mister Jaehyun too?” Mark asked back. Yuta was taken slightly aback by Mark's questions, but at the same time, he was amazed by his ideals and values. It took him a few minutes to respond back to Mark's question with this: "I just met Mister Jaehyun, Mark. I can't say right away that I like him as a boyfriend or even a friend, but I think he's worth liking, and I would like to get to know him more." Yuta answered back. 

"Really, Yuta-samchon? You will make me very happy!" Mark replied. 

The two finally arrived at the grocery store. Yuta bought some sliced watermelons and watermelon-flavored popsicles for Mark, a box of cheese pizza, and potato chips for himself. After going to the grocery, Yuta supervised Mark from time to time with his homework and played games with him until he clocked out at 5 o'clock in the afternoon. Seeing Mark getting ecstatic over his teacher and finding a potential partner for him was rather surprising for Yuta, but he knows that the little boy is only after his happiness. As the night went on, Yuta couldn't get the cute bread-faced teacher out of his mind, ever since he laid his eyes on him while picking up Mark from school. "Maybe I'll make the first move," Yuta uttered to himself.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I found a bunch of tweets related to Jaehyun, the Dreamies, and bread, which inspired this chapter. Also, I had a field day fleshing out little Mark's character here, so please enjoy!


	5. The World is Getting Smaller

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaehyun and Yuta bump into each other over dinner and it might be the start of things.

Jaehyun arrived home at around four thirty in the afternoon that day, which was quite late from his usual schedule. When he opened the doors to his apartment, he saw Doyoung and Taeyong cuddling on the couch while watching the Fyre Festival documentary on Netflix. It also appeared that the two were munching on Jaehyun’s homemade cookies. Although the sight seemed awkward at first, Jaehyun was chill about it. He was pretty much happy to see his best friend and his best friend’s boyfriend living their best lives after a long day of work. He then proceeded to his bedroom to shower and change some clothes, before joining the couple to watch the documentary.

Jaehyun was watching the documentary quite intently, while Doyoung and Taeyong were having a spirited discussion about it. To be quite frank, Doyoung and Taeyong’s discussion was much more compelling than the film itself, which prompted Jaehyun to listen to them rather than pay attention to the latter. After the film, Taeyong, Doyoung, and Jaehyun decided to go out and have dinner at a chicken and beer place inside a mall near their apartment complex.

“Yuta-samchon! Why are we going to the mall today? It’s not yet Friday,” Mark asked, while seated beside Yuta inside an Uber. Ten and Johnny are out on a date night, and the couple has tasked Yuta to take care of their child for the rest of the day. “Mark, your Dada and Papa are on a date, and they told me to hang out with you today, my dear.” Yuta replied. “Don’t worry, we’ll leave early anyway.”

“Okay, Yuta-samchon! But can we please go to that toy place? I want a bread plushie too.” Mark begged. “Alright, Mark. But promise Yuta-samchon that you’ll be a good boy.” Yuta replied.

After twenty minutes of being stuck in traffic, Yuta and Mark finally arrived at the mall. They were only supposed to be hanging out together, but Jungwoo suddenly decided to ask to join the two, because the latter wanted to introduce someone important to Yuta.

“Yuta-hyung!” Jungwoo exclaimed as he hugged Yuta and Mark and Yuta entered the mall. Jungwoo was excited to see one of his best friends again, most especially outside of training. However, his enthusiasm shot up when he saw that his best friend is with a cute little boy like Mark. Shortly after, Yuta then proceeded to introduce Mark to Jungwoo. “Mark, this is Jungwoo-hyung. He is one of my best friends in the football team. Say hi!”

“Hi Jungwoo-hyung! You’re very tall and you look cool,” Mark replied. “Thank you, Mark!” Jungwoo added. After some introductions and pleasantries, Jungwoo, Yuta, and Mark then decided to go around the mall, which resulted in a visit to the indoor playground, due to Mark’s insistence. This decision prompted Jungwoo to call Lucas and meet him there, instead of originally meeting at the dessert place adjacent to the chicken and beer restaurant. 

Twenty minutes later, Lucas finally arrived at the mall’s indoor playground. He was immediately greeted by Jungwoo with a light peck on the cheek. “Jungwoo! You didn’t tell me that you liked kids!” Lucas exclaimed as he looked at his boyfriend lovingly.

“Oh! One of my friends is babysitting a kid, and we ended up coming here because the kid likes to play.” Jungwoo replied.  

Mark was busy running around the playpen when Lucas and Jungwoo wandered around the playground. Being the attentive and intelligent little boy that he is, he immediately recognized Lucas and dragged his beloved Yuta-samchon to meet the couple.

“Yuta-samchon! It’s Mister Lucas!” Mark hollered as he held Yuta’s hand and dragged him to the waiting area, where Lucas and Jungwoo are seated together, watching a compilation of meme videos on Lucas’ mobile phone.

“Mister Lucas! Mister Lucas! Hi!” Mark exclaimed as he saw one of his teachers at school. “You’re Mark, right? The one with the watermelon shirt and lion bag? Your Teacher Jaehyun is very nice! High five!” Lucas replied. Mark then pointed to himself, nodded, and gave Lucas a high-five after Lucas asked his question.

“Yuta-hyung, this is Lucas, my boyfriend. I've mentioned him to you about it countless times, but this is the first time I'll be introducing him to you.” Jungwoo proclaimed with sparkling, loving eyes as he introduced Lucas to Yuta and Mark. Jungwoo and Lucas have been officially a couple for three months now. They met a year ago at a runners’ club near the gymnasium where Seoul United is practicing, and they have kept in touch since. It was love at first sight for the both of them, and they officially became a couple during one of Seoul United’s crucial games. Unfortunately, Yuta wasn't able to witness their love story unfold before his own eyes because of his hiatus from football. 

"Hello, Lucas. Nice to meet you. I'm pretty sure you've known me through Jungwoo too," Yuta said, as he introduced himself to Lucas formally. 

"Hello, Yuta-hyung. Nice to meet you too! And Mark, it's nice to see you again. You'll see me more often with Mister Jaehyun!" Lucas replied.

“Really, Mister Lucas? You’ll let us watch more _Mickey Mouse Clubhouse_ and _Doc McStuffins_ with Mister Jaehyun? Thank you very much!” Mark replied excitedly.

“Mark, I think we’re all hungry now. Jungwoo, Lucas, do you want to eat already?” Yuta interjected.

“Yes!” The three replied. Shortly after, Yuta, Mark, Lucas, and Jungwoo went to Kang’s Chicken to have dinner. Coincidentally, it was also the same place where Jaehyun, Doyoung, and Taeyong were having their supper and drinks.

* * *

 

“So, Jaehyun. You finally met Yuta. What do you really think of him?” Taeyong asked, while looking at Jaehyun happily eating his cheese-coated fried chicken.

“I honestly think that he’s quite good-looking, Taeyong. He seems a bit reserved, but I was able to observe him with one of my students, and he really dotes on him. It means something good, right?” Jaehyun asked.

“Most likely,” Doyoung replied, albeit in a slightly sarcastic tone. “What the hell are you doing? Make the first move!”

“Doyoung, I’ve never been in a relationship. I haven’t dated anyone. Yes, I’m attracted to men, but I don’t have the time or energy or interest to date. I want to focus on my current career as a teacher, and my friends. You, Taeyong, Lucas, the other teachers!” Jaehyun proclaimed.

“If you say so, Jaehyun. One day, you’re going to be roped into dating and socializing, take it from me.” Doyoung retorted. “Speaking of Lucas, I can see him from a few tables away--- and he’s with Yuta, another guy, and a little boy.”

* * *

“Yuta- _samchon_ , are you going to be Mister Jaehyun’s boyfriend? You said he’s cute, so it means that you want to be his boyfriend. If you do it, can I call him Jaehyun- _samchon_ too?” Mark asked innocuously, in between bites his chicken fingers. Mark’s question shook everyone in their table, with Lucas in a laughing fit.

“Mark, dear, we are not discussing this right now.” Yuta replied, in a stern, low voice. Yuta was shocked by Mark’s question, since he barely knew Mark’s teacher.

“You’re dating Jaehyun? I thought he’s not the dating type!” Lucas retorted. “I thought he would be the type to stay home, bake cookies, and pet dogs, haha!”

 "Why though? He's very handsome, and he looks to be the type who would pick up girls and boys at every night out. How do you know about this?" Yuta quipped. 

"Well, aside from being his colleague, he also happens to be my neighbor. We live in the same apartment building, and our apartments are in front of each other. Haha! He bakes really delicious cookies, Yuta. Here, take one." Lucas replied, as he handed out chocolate chip cookies to Yuta during dinner. 

"Oh my god, this is so good. I need to be friends with Jaehyun. Yuta. You need to date him. Babe, give him Jaehyun's number," Jungwoo exclaimed. 

"Yuta-samchon! See! You keep calling Mister Jaehyun handsome or cute, which means that you like him! That's how my Dada and Papa met. They keep calling each other cute and then they fell in love, Yuta-samchon. I'm sure that Mister Jaehyun will love you." Mark exclaimed, while looking at Yuta with sparkling eyes. 

 

* * *

 

 Jaehyun, Doyoung, and Taeyong finally exited Mr. Kang's, with Mark, Jungwoo, Lucas and Yuta following a couple of seconds later. Mark immediately recognized Jaehyun and asked Yuta to come with him to say hi to his teacher. 

"Mister Jaehyun! Mister Jaehyun!" Mark shouted. 

"Oh hi, Mark! Hi, Yuta." Jaehyun replied, shyly, as he looked at Mark and Yuta. 

My Yuta-samchon liked your cookies and he thinks you're really cute. Please be my uncle, please?" Mark begged, as he looked at his favourite teacher. 

"Mark, it's not really like that, but I would love to see your Yuta-samchon again." Jaehyun replied. 

"Yeah, we'll see each other again soon." Yuta blurted. 

 

After that brief encounter, the two groups went off their separate ways and headed home, with the exception of Lucas, who went home with Doyoung, Jaehyun, and Taeyong. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay this chapter has been a mess, but I hope that this will be the beginning for them! I'm so excited to see their love story unfold.


	6. The Beginning of a Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the start for Yuta and Jaehyun! Thank you, Lucas.

Yuta had just ended his first coaching session of his junior football clinic. As a first-time coach, he felt nervous. He has never coached anyone in his life, let alone coach a bunch of kindergarteners to play football. Luckily, his students were cooperative and interested in the sport. 

Among his students, Donghyuck, Chenle, Yangyang, and Jisung were the ones who showed the most amount of potential. The rest of the children were promising, but the four of them stood out to Yuta the most. 

* * *

 

Several minutes after his football clinic ended, Yuta saw Jaehyun and Lucas at a small corner of the school field, doing some drills. Although the two teachers are already pretty athletic, Yuta found Lucas to be more agile than Jaehyun. His kicks and dribbles were quite smooth and swift, almost comparable to Yuta’s contemporaries. On the other hand, Yuta found Jaehyun’s form to be a little sloppy, especially when it comes to juggling the ball with his feet. However, Yuta couldn’t help but gaze at him, especially whenever he juggles the soccer ball and messes up in the process. 

A couple of minutes later, Lucas was able to spot Yuta at one of the benches near the football field. Lucas ran up to him, and invited Yuta to do some football drills with them. 

“Yuta-hyung! Yuta-hyung!” Lucas exclaimed, as he ran to the bench where Yuta was seated. “What are you doing here?” 

“Oh Lucas! I got a job here. I teach the kindergarteners football now,” Yuta replied. “I see that you’re close to Mister Bread right there,” Yuta added, while shifting his gaze to Jaehyun’s. Yuta and Lucas’ conversation went on, until Jaehyun approached the two. 

“Hello, Yuta. It’s so good to see you here. What are you up to?” Jaehyun asked Yuta. 

“Oh, I’m teaching soccer here now. I’m teaching the kids,” Yuta replied. 

“Jaehyun-hyung! Have you met Yuta-hyung? He’s teaching the preschoolers soccer now!” Lucas exclaimed, while looking at the two. Lucas caught Yuta and Jaehyun looking at each other in a seemingly loving way, as if there’s a romantic connection between them. A few moments later, Lucas started blurting,  “Is this love at first sight I see?” in front of Jaehyun and Yuta. Unsurprisingly, Jaehyun and Yuta started blushing, and stared at each other again. 

 

Shortly after, Jaehyun and Yuta turned to Lucas and started laughing at each other. The exchange of laughs turned into a full-blown conversation, which covered a plethora of topics. Jaehyun learned that Yuta is a member of Seoul United, while Yuta learned that Jaehyun used to be competitive swimmer in high school. The trio talked about their students, especially Mark, who is quite precocious and highly observant. After their initial conversation, Jaehyun offered Lucas and Yuta a ride home, which became a night out at a pub in Myeongdong. 

 

* * *

 

 

“Seoul United’s playing, hyung! Gotta support my boyfriend’s team. And Yuta-hyung too! Let’s go to the pub!” Lucas exclaimed. The three had dinner at Paddy’s, a pub that’s known for showing football matches. The Seoul United game was set to air at nine in the evening, and they arrived at the pub two hours earlier. Yuta was supposed to watch the game live at the stadium, but the traffic situation going to the venue wasn’t that pleasant, so he decided to come with Jaehyun and Lucas instead. Not to mention, Yuta was very curious about his new friend, the seemingly reserved kindergarten teacher who resembled a loaf of fluffy bread. It was suffice to say that Yuta has an obvious crush on Jaehyun, and fate has led him to meet the man of his dreams. 

“So, Yuta, how are things going for you?” Jaehyun asked Yuta. 

“I’m recovering. I mean, I still feel sad for not being able to play, but I have found ways to bring the sport that I love into my life,” Yuta replied. “I love the kids, I’ve grown to like architecture, and I’m kind of happy with my set-up now. How about you, Jaehyun? You seem like a tough nut to crack. I want to learn more about you,” Yuta retorted. 

“I'm quite reserved, am I? It just takes me a while to warm up to people, but I guess you're a pretty good person, Yuta," Jaehyun answered back. "I guess we can talk about me, then. Where do I start? Well, you know that I used to swim competitively, but now, my only form of exercise is running. I like bread, and this game with Seoul United is the first time I'll be watching football in a while." 

"Mm-hmm. Tell me more, tell me more." Yuta said. 

"I think you're handsome, Yuta." Jaehyun proclaimed, which surprised Lucas. 

"HYUNG! THAT WAS UNEXPECTED OF YOU." Lucas hollered. 

Yuta and Jaehyun continued to talk for the next hour and a half, which resulted in the two of them casually flirting with each other. They started exchanging numbers, and followed each other on social media. It was unexpected for the two of them, since they admitted to one another that they weren't the best flirts. However, they both agreed that they enjoyed each other's company and looked forward to seeing each other more often. 

Thirty minutes after their conversation ended, the Seoul United game started airing. The concierge of Paddy's asked if the guests if there are Seoul United fans who wanted to provide live commentary for the game, and Jaehyun immediately volunteered Lucas and Yuta. Lucas and Yuta immediately stood up, and introduced themselves as "megafans." 

Afterwards, a waitress from Paddy's immediately recognized Yuta and revealed to everybody that he was a member of Seoul United's team. She also pointed out his status as a star player, which surprised Yuta and everyone in the pub, much to everyone's delight. 

 

* * *

 

The Seoul United match ended on a really good note, with Seoul United winning 3-0 against Gyeonggi Pirates. Afterwards, guests started approaching Yuta and took selfies with him, which amused Jaehyun and Lucas greatly.

An hour later, the three went off to go home, with Jaehyun driving Lucas and Yuta. Jaehyun dropped Yuta off to his apartment building, and Yuta bade Jaehyun goodbye with a hug and a peck on the latter's cheek. In return, Jaehyun gave Yuta a warm, tight hug. 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After months of not updating, I'm finally publishing this chapter!!!


	7. Just A Normal Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is it a really typical day for Jaehyun?

“Hyung! I saw that,” Lucas blurted to Jaehyun, while the latter settled down in the driver’s seat of his car. 

“Yeah, I know. That was unexpected of me,” Jaehyun replied, as he drove the car back to their apartment building. The drive back wouldn’t end for another ten minutes, so the two decided to talk about the events that transpired that night. After having a conversation in the car, Jaehyun and Lucas headed off to their apartment building, where they went to their respective apartments. 

* * *

 

The next day, Jaehyun found himself being woken up by Taeyong and Doyoung. 

“Jung Jaehyun, you have some explaining to do,” Doyoung uttered. 

“What?” Jaehyun answered back.

“You just kept on mentioning Yuta in our conversations last night. What happened?” Taeyong asked. 

“We finally hung out! We watched the Seoul United game at Paddy’s with Lucas, and I learned that he stopped playing for a bit due to his injury.” Jaehyun replied. “I feel bad for him, though,” he added. 

“Oh, so you hung out--- then what happened after? You do know that he has a little crush on you, right?” Taeyong retorted. 

“Really? He does?” Jaehyun asked, as he gave Taeyong and Doyoung a puzzled look.

“As his best friend, I’m 100 percent sure about that,” Taeyong replied. 

“You know what Taeyong? We can talk about this after class. Jaehyun and I are going to be late,” Doyoung retorted. 

After twenty minutes, Doyoung and Jaehyun headed off to school, while Taeyong was left alone in their apartment. Taeyong recently moved in with them, since he recently got a permanent post at Cheongdam General Hospital. His new position at his new workplace was close to Doyoung and Jaehyun. In addition, the commute to Seoul United’s offices will be easier for him with the new job at hand. With these changes, moving in with Doyoung was the most practical option for him. Not to mention, living with Doyoung also gives him a chance to get to know Jaehyun better, especially now that Yuta has taken a liking to the young preschool teacher. 

* * *

 

After a short drive, Jaehyun and Doyoung finally arrived in school. They stumbled upon Mark being dropped off by Yuta, Johnny, and Ten, which amused Doyoung. Jaehyun explained that Yuta usually hitches with Mark, Johnny, and Ten, since Yuta’s day job is near the school. 

Not long after, Jaehyun saw Mark being walked to class by his dads. The little boy did not hesitate to approach his teacher and waved at him, to which Jaehyun responded in return. 

“Mama, why do we have so many desserts today? I only have six classmates and a teacher,” Jaemin asked, while looking at his mother, Seulgi, in a puzzled way. 

“My dear, it’s not just for you and Mister Jaehyun, it’s for everyone in this school! I want everyone to try the newest offerings at Kang’s Kitchen,” Seulgi replied happily, as she carried a plastic bag full of dessert samples. “Don’t forget to share my love!” She adds, before saying goodbye to Jaemin. Seulgi kissed her son and headed off to the bakery, where her new desserts will be on sale to the public. 

Several minutes later, Chenle, Renjun, Donghyuck, Mark, Jisung, and Jeno arrived in class. The kids were surprised to see that Jaemin brought a big bag of treats. 

“Nana, Nana! Are those for us?” Jeno asked. 

“Nana-hyung, will you give me cookies?” Jisung asked, as he looked at Jaemin cutely.

“Of course! But mama will also give to Mister Jaehyun too!,” Jaemin replied. 

“How about Mister Lucas? And Rabbit Teacher! And Miss Chipmunk!” Donghyuck answered back. 

“They have some too! Maybe Teacher Jaehyun can share,” Jaemin chirped. 

Several minutes later, Jaehyun entered the classroom. As he walked inside, he noticed that the kids were crowding Jaemin, which worried him. He first settled himself into his teacher’s table, then approached the kids. 

“Kids, what’s going on?” Jaehyun asked. 

“Teacher Jaehyun, Nana brought a lot of snacks. Can we eat it for recess, please?” Chenle asked, as he gazed at his teacher in a cute, pleading manner. 

“Also, Teacher Jaehyun, my mama said I should give these to you and Mister Lucas,” Jaemin added, while handing out the boxes of dessert samples to Jaehyun. 

“Oh, thank you, Nana! As for the snacks, you can eat it during recess, kids.” Jaehyun announced.

* * *

 

Because of Seulgi’s desserts, Jaehyun’s students became a little more hyperactive than usual. The sugar rush was at an all-time high, and the kids were running and jumping around the classroom. To wrap up another school day, Jaehyun decided to do some storytelling. He picked out a few Korean folk tales, which the kids enjoyed. The folk tales that he read to his students calmed them down, to the extent that Chenle, Donghyuck, and Jisung fell asleep. 

Dismissal time finally came along. The rest of the kids already got picked up by their guardians or parents, but Mark remained in the waiting area, waiting for his dads to pick him up from school. As Jaehyun was about to go outside for lunch, he saw Mark, looking a little sad from waiting. 

“Mark, are you okay?,” the older asked. 

“Mister Jaehyun, I’m okay. I’m just a little sad. Papa and Dada are not yet here. We were supposed to go to the movies today after class.” 

“Do you want me to tell you another story to cheer you up?” 

Jaehyun brought out another storybook from his large bag and read it to Mark, which made the child feel a little better. Several minutes later, a familiar face entered the gate to pick up Mark. It was Yuta. Yuta was able to spot Mark in the waiting area, where the little boy was seated beside his teacher. Yuta then walked and approached the two, with Mark hugging his beloved Yuta- _samchon._

“Yuta-samchon! Yuta-samchon! Are we going to the office? Will Papa and dada watch movies with me? Do you know?” Mark asked as Yuta approached him. 

“Well, your Dada Ten is in the office now, and your Papa Johnny is at his work, so I guess it’s best that we can ask your Dada if they’re still free?” Yuta replied. 

“Okay. Yuta-samchon. Say hi to Mister Jaehyun. He told me a story while waiting for you today.” Mark answered back. After he saw Yuta and Jaehyun seated together, Mark stepped away from the two and moved to the other side of the waiting area to play. 

* * *

 

“Oh, hi, Jaehyun. It’s so nice to see you again.” Yuta said, as he waved at Jaehyun. 

“Hi, Yuta! It’s so nice to see you too. Do you want a box of dessert? There’s pain au chocolat, cupcakes, and banana bread. It’s from Jaemin’s mom,” Jaehyun replied, while offering a box of desserts to Yuta. 

“Oh wow, are you sure?” Yuta answered back. 

“Yes, Seulgi made a lot of these, and she told Jaemin to give them away. I gave a couple of boxes to Lucas, Doyoung, Wendy, Mingyu, Wonwoo, Jeonghan, and Yeri. It would be nice if you could get another box too for Mark’s parents,” Jaehyun nodded. 

"Yes, sure. Ten and Johnny love chocolates. But I guess Ten will not touch the chocolate chip banana bread with a ten-foot pole." Yuta blurted. 

Yuta accepted Jaehyun’s little token, and proceeded to talk again. They reminisced about that night at Paddy’s, and talked about other personal things, while waiting for the car service that Ten picked up for them going to the mall. Yuta brought up his relationship with Ten, Johnny, and Mark, which surprised Jaehyun. Jaehyun also shared some bits of his life in Boston, which Yuta found quite amusing. 

Their conversation ended with a little plan: their own first date. After much thought, Jaehyun finally mustered up the courage to ask Yuta out on a date, to which Yuta agreed. “Come on Jaehyun, I know you like me a lot. Just give me my date,” Yuta expressed half-jokingly, after Jaehyun asked him out. A few minutes later, the car service for Yuta and Mark finally arrived. The two bade their goodbyes to Jaehyun, with Yuta and Jaehyun bearing the biggest smiles on their faces before parting. 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this long-ass chapter! And the cameos!

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first English fic!  
> Side ships: Dotae, Johnten, and Luwoo  
> 7Dream as Jaehyun’s students  
> I injured my knee a couple of months ago, which kind of inspired this fic. Knee injuries are scary things to deal with, guys.
> 
> This fic was also inspired by @jaeyongwoo's Jaeyong AU, where Mark tried to look for a partner for his dad, Taeyong.


End file.
